1861 April 21 Harpers Ferry

      Harpers Ferry   April 21st /61
                        Dear Ma
                                       As I have time this
morning, I will write you a few lines to let
you know how I’m getting along.  I got Pa’s
& Lute’s letters yesterday safely, & was very glad
to hear from all the dear ones at home.  I would
like very much to hear fro be with you all this
morning at home this morning.  It does not look
much like Sunday here, as we have the same to
do, as we do every day.  We had prayers this
morning; Mr. Winston read the eig[h]ths chap. Matt.
& Mr. Murray prayed.  I’ve just finished breakfast.
& I enjoyed it very much, though it was, what
I call “poor fare”; the fare is “Beef & Bread” in
in the morning; & “Beef & Bread” at night.
You know; Ma, I never did like Coffee, without
it was half milk, well now I’ve learned to
drink it, any without any milk & very little
sugar, & think it is splendid at that.  I never
saw any Beef, half as tough in Louisa, as
it is here.  I’ll tell you how we eat, well. we
all form a line & are are divided out into squ
squ^’a’ds, four men in each squad, and then march

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up to the table & each squad gets it allowance
& goes off in some ^’other’ part of the room to eat; well I
got used to being limited in eating when I was
sick.  I had a few nights rest last, and feel
very much refreshed this morning.  Joe & I always
sleep together, last night we took our blankets
overcoats &c and got up on a table & made a very
good bed.  I told Joe, that I thought his old Bun^’k’
was bad enough, but that was rather worse.
We got up early this morning, blacked our
boots, washed, put on a clean shirt & took a walk
before breakfast.

[The rest of this letter on the following two pages is written in pencil.]
                                                 Mayraland [sic]
          Dear Ma,
                        I’m now on the Mayolnd side,
before I could finish my letter, Ill We were
were ordered on this side, about a mile from Harpers
Ferry, on the top of a high mountain, about
30 miles from the Pensyvania line.  I never had
such a tramp in all my life, all of us
had to rest several times before we arrived here.
I don’t know when we will go back to H. Ferry,
not before Tuesday morning, I don’t reckon.
We are out here to guard the mountain, and to keep
the enemy from coming here by the Potomack
river, if they should happen to venture to come,
which we all think is very doubtful.  I don’t
believe, anybody thinks, there will be any fight here
at all.  I suppose yo’ve all heard the news from Baltimore
& Washington.  There was a great rejoicing amongst the soldiers

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when they heard of the news yesterday, a. A secession
flag was raised yesterday evening at Harpers Ferry
by the soldiers, I never heard such a noise in all my
life as they made when it went up.
We have now between 35 hundred & 4,000 men here now
I met with Dick Bernard yesterday evening,
he came here with the Orange Company, I saw him
for only a few minutes.  Met with Will Ashby this
morning on the street.  I have not seen will Will Jones
since I got here.  I have a good many acquaintances
here he besides  besides our own Company.  Cap. Turner
Ashby was pointed out to me yesterday, he is kin
to us I believe.   Tell Sister Page, her cousine Ro.
Helm is not here, though his Company is
here, I inquired particularly for him & heard he wasn’t here.
Well I must bring my letter to a close, I I dont
reckon you can hardly read it as it is written so badly
& the paper is so dirty.  You all must not be uneasy
about me, for I do not think there is any danger
now, for the enemy is afraid to attack us.
I hope I will be with you all soon.  I am
as well as I ever was in my life, haven’t had
pain since I left.  I am now sitting on a rock &
writing on the head of a drum.  Joe & Mr Bickers
send love they are well.  Excuse this badly written
letter.  I’m afraid you can’t read it.  My best
love to every body at Home.  write as often as
you can to yr devoted son
                                   Love P. E. Jones

Philip Edloe Jones and his brothers John William Jones and Francis Pendleton Jones all served in the 13th Virginia Infantry.  John W. Jones was later known for his memoirs "Christ in the Camp."

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 13407